Fastening device



April l, 1947. D. B. HULL FASTENING DEVICE Filed may 1s, 194s the line 3--3 of Fig. 1;

Patented Apr. yl, 1947 UNITED STATE s PATENT OFFICE FASTENING DEVICE Denison B. Hull, Winnetka, lll. Application May 13, 1943, Serial No. 486,783

comms.

The,present invention relates to fastening devices which are particularly adapted for use in connection with articles attached to the clothing,

such as hearing aids.

Some articles, such as hearing aids, cannot be satisfactorily secured to the wearer of such device by the ordinary type of spring clip for the reason that such devices are often worn with clothing that has no convenient place to which the ordinary clip can be attached, in which case it is necessary to employ a pin for securing the device to the wearer.- It is desirable, therefore, to provide such devices with fastening means that are simple in construction and that may be readily changed from one form to another, depending upon the desire of the user.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a fastening device which is simple in construction and which may be readily attached to and removed from an article to be attached to clothing.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a fastening device which may be embodied either in the form of a spring clip or a pin and which is so constructed that one form of the device may be readily substituted for the other.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a fastening device in which a spring applies pressure at both ends of said device in the same direction and in the middle in the opposite direction, whereby a locking member posi-f tioned at the middle of said device will securely retain the same in place on the article to which it is attached.

A still further obiect of the invention is a spring clip fastening device in which a common spring is employed both to put the clip under tension and to removably secure the clip to an associated article. Y

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings, which show a preferred embodiment thereof.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a View in elevation of a spring clip embodyingr the invention as itv maybe applied to a hearing aid;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1; y

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on Fig. 4 is a view in elevation of a socket member which may be molded into the case of the 2 device to which the fastening device is attached;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a modiiied form of the device, being in section generally corresponding to Fig. 3;

Fig. 6" shows the invention as applied to a pin which may be substituted for the clip, the view being a fragmentary view otherwise similar to Fig. 1:

Fig. l is a sectional view taken on the line l-'l of Fig. 6, being somewhat enlarged with respect thereto; and

Fig. 8 is View vin side elevation of the pin employed in the form shown in Figs. 6 ancl'T.

In the drawings the numeral il indicates the case of a hearing aid or similar device. In Figs.

l, 2, 4 and 5, inclusive, the'body portion of the clip is indicated by the numeral l2. The body portion oi the clip is channel shaped, as shown in Figs. 3 andr, and is provided near the central portion thereof with projecting lugs i3 that support a pin lil. 'A spring member lli is provided in the body portion of the clip and holds itself in place in the clip by being so shaped, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, that it bears against the pin M and against the body portion of the clip l2 and is held under .tension between the pin it and the body portion of the clip I2, thereby being selfsecured to the body portion ofthe clip. The spring is provided at the base thereof with a. loop it and with a substantially straight leg portion il.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3 the leg portion ll is provided' with two punched out proiectiner lug portions it and i9, respectively. The lug i8 extends from the leg' ll at an angle oi' approximately 45. The lug l extends from the leg il at an angle of approximately A socket member 2d is molded into the body of the device il. the socket member being preferably 'I made of metal, although it can be of the same material as the body portion and an integral part of it.

The socket member 20 in the form of the device shown in Fig. 3 is provided with openings 2l and 22. these openings beiner spaced afshort distancefrom each end of lthe socket member. The latter is of generally rectangular outline. as: illustrated in Fig. 4, and mayor may not be provided with a pair of laterally projecting ears 20' serving as stops to prevent rocking of the socket member on the casing. Said socket member may be frictionally fitted within the opening vin the casing or molded therein during the production of the casing or,'.as stated above, it may be made integral 3 l with the casing. As appears in Fig. 3. the lug passes into the opening 2I and the end thereof extends beneath and under the socket member so as to interlock tlf. `rewith. The lug I9 extends through the opening 22 in the socket member and prevents lengthwise movement of the device in relationship to the body case II. 'The spring device is readily removable from the case II by l lifting the end 2|' of the spring l5 and removing the lug I9 from the socket and then moving thev clip so that the lug I3 disengages from the socket member. f

In the device shown in Fig. 5, the leg I'I of the secured tothe bo'dy oi' the device and can only be removed by raising the end of the pin near which the lug member 32 is positioned. In this form of the device the pressure ofthe spring is exerted in one direction at the ends of the device and in the opposite direction at the central portion thereof where the lug underlying the socket member is located.

Obviously, the spring 28 may be constructed with two central lugs like those shown in connection with Fig. 5.

The device has the advantage that it is extremely simple in construction, economical to manufacture and may be readily removed and replaced in various forms to suit the convenience .of the user.

I claim:

1. In a supporting device of the character described for suspending a small casing from a perso'ns clothing, means for attaching the device to an article of clothing, and a strip of thin resilient spring material connected with said attaching means, said 'strip being provided inwardly clip is provided with two downwardly projecting lugs 22' and'23. respectively, which lugs are bent so as to underlie the socket 24. In this device there is provided a straight lug which is at a right angle tothe leg I1 of the spring member and which passes through the socket member 24. The tip end 2B o! the spring may be raised away from Vthe body of the device so as to release the lug 25 and permit removal of the clip.l The action of the spring in the device of- Fig. 5 is the same as that described in connection with Fig. 3.

In Figs. 6 and '1 there is shown a pin member 21 which may be substituted for the clip. The

socket member in Figs. 6 and 7 is of the same construction as that shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. In fact the same socket member is employed for either the pinor clip form of the device in order that one may be substituted for the other.` The pin .member v2'I'is provided with a member 28 which is a spring that has outwardly projecting end portions 29 and 30 to which the pin 21 is pivotallyfsecured `at one end and locked in place at the other end by a suitable safety catch.

As shown in Fig. 8, when the pin is not attached to the device and the spring is not under tension it has a somewhat arcuate shape. Punched out of the spring member 28 near the central portion thereof are a lug member 33, which is adapted to pass intoman opening in the socket 3i and underlie a portion of the socket, and a lug member 32 n which'is bent at substantially right angles to the spring portion of the pin and adapted. to pass into an opening v-in the socketnear the other end thereof. When the pin is attached to the socket,

,the downwardly projecting lug 33 passes beof itsv side edges with two rearwardly struck tongues, which tongues diverge angularly relative to each otherat their extremities and wedgingly t within correspondingly spaced openings in the casing, said strip when positioned against the casing vbeing resiliently flexed to maintain the tongues in engagement with the edges of th openings. j

2. In a supporting device ofthe character described for suspending a small casing from a person's clothing, means for attaching the device to said lugs, whereby to maintain. the lugs in engagement with the edges of the openings inthe casing. i

DENISON B. HULL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Kirby Jan. 17, 1899 Schauer Apr. 21, 1942 Marcucci Jan. 30, 1912 Livsey Mar. 27, 1923 Cock Nov. 14, 1933 Number 

